Speculations
by Lola-Tenshi
Summary: Orihime makes random speculations about what she witnesses around her. A hypothesis about Ichigo and Uryuu's relationship runs closer to the truth then the two are comfortable with. Orihime's POV. Implied IchigoUryuu.


Title: Speculations

Pairing(s): Ichigo/Uryuu (more implied than actually stated)

Rating: G

Warnings: Orihime's POV (with plenty of Orihime obliviousness). Also, if you only read the manga, a character only mentioned in the anime is brought up.

Word Count: 966

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo, not me.

Summary: Orihime makes random speculations about what she witnesses around her. A hypothesis about Ichigo and Uryuu's relationship runs closer to the truth then the two are comfortable with. Orihime's POV, drabble.

Author's Note: I've recently, out of the blue, developed a huge amount of respect and love for Orihime's character (she happens to be one of my favorite females from the show). So, I decided that I wanted to write an IchiIshi drabble from her POV. I'm not completely happy with the ending, but I still liked the idea behind the story. I hope you enjoy, and don't forget to review!

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><p>Orihime hummed happily to herself, skipping down the pathway that ran along the riverbank. She loved the sight of the setting sun on the river as she walked home with her friends. It was peaceful and quiet, not something that happened often anymore.<p>

Walking besides her were Sado-kun and Kuchiki-san, where the latter was determinedly showing off her newest drawings of Chappy the rabbit. Orihime loved Chappy and Kuchiki-san's creativity, but Sado-kun looked less than impressed.

Behind the three of them were Kurosaki-kun and Ishida-kun who were engaged in another one of their numerous squabbles. Orihime couldn't hear what they were arguing about this time, as the two boys had their heads bent close together, whispering furtively. The word homework drifted her way, which made Orihime think of the numerous assignments they had received for the weekend. It was more than usual, a result from a comment Asano-kun had shouted out to Ochi-sensei during class earlier that day.

"Oh! That reminds me," Orihime exclaimed, excited to explain her newest theory to her small group of friends. "I was thinking in class today about Ochi-sensei. You know how we always have new students coming in our classroom? Well, people pretending to be students anyway? Like you Kuchiki-san, and Hirako-kun, and the princess! We've never had so many transfer students before, so you'd think that Sensei would be suspicious, but she's not! What if she's secretly a shinigami!"

Kuchiki-san and Sado-kun chuckled, looking at Orihime in disbelief.

"Uh, Inoue, I don't think Ochi-sensei is a shinigami. Even if she was, I think I'd know about it," Kuchiki-san explained.

"But what if it's a long-term mission that was top secret? I bet she was forbidden from telling anyone, both here and at Seireitei! Could you imagine having to keep such a secret? I don't think I could do it, sometimes things just blurt right out of my mouth," Orihime laughed, rubbing the back of her head with one hand.

"I suppose it would be quite the secret," Sado-kun conceded.

Orihime nodded in agreement. She turned around, trying to see if either Kurosaki-kun or Ishida-kun had heard her, but they hadn't. They we're still muttering to each other, heads even closer than before. Orihime tilted her head, observing the two for a moment.

"Kurosaki-kun and Ishida-kun seem to be getting along a lot better now then when they first met," Orihime whispered, turning around so that she was facing the two closest to herself. "They're very . . . close."

Sado-kun shrugged, "They've fought besides each other numerous times, it's easy to see why they would become closer."

"I know, but, they seem to be close close. They used to argue loudly, shouting at each other; but now it's more like heated whispers, as if they don't want to be overheard." Orihime gasped, eyes widening, "You don't think that they have a secret too!"

"Who has a secret?"

Orihime jumped, squealing, not expecting Kurosaki-kun to answer her. Both Ishida-kun and him were looking at her curiously, as though they had just started listening in on the conversation and wanted to know what was being said. Which, for that matter, was probably true.

Unsure if she wanted to admit to her latest hypothesis, Orihime started laughing. "Secret? What secret? I don't know what you're talking about."

"I wouldn't second guess yourself if I was you, Inoue. They probably do have a secret, or at least one of them does" Kuchiki-san had a knowing grin on her face, staring directly at Kurosaki-kun.

"Ishida and I?" Kurosaki-kun looked stunned, his face flushing slightly.

"Mm-hm," Kuchiki-san hummed, still smiling widely.

"Like I would keep a secret with this idiot, he'd spill it in a second," Ishida-kun sniffed, his face turned away from the group. Though Orihime could tell that the tips of his ears had turned a similar shade of red to Kurosaki-kun's face.

"Oh, give it a rest, will you! I can keep a secret if I want to," Kurosaki-kun scowled.

"Of course you can Ichigo, it's not like you talk out loud in your sleep during the middle of the night, where someone sleeping in your closet could overhear you. And of course it wouldn't gain this person's attention if you were to moan something, such as a name, a given name at that." By now Kuchiki-san's grin stretched from ear to ear.

"Shut up! Don't you have . . . hollows to kill or something!"

Just as the words left Kurosaki-kun's mouth, Kuchiki-san's soul communicator beeped, indicating an incoming hollow. Before she could even check to see what was going on, Kurosaki-kun had already grabbed his shinigami badge, forcefully pushing his soul from his body. He took off down the road, leaving his body slumped on the ground, Ishida-kun following closely behind him.

"They left in a hurry," Orihime blinked.

Sado-kun shrugged while Kuchiki-san chuckled at some inside joke of hers. Tilting her head, Orihime thought back to what they had been talking about before.

"Kuchiki-san! Don't you still sleep in Kurosaki-kun's closet? Then is what you said earlier true?" she gasped. But if that was true. Orihime's face turned bright red. "Who's name does Kurosaki-kun say in his sleep?"

Kuchiki-san laughed, "Don't think too hard about it, Inoue. I'm sure you'll find out soon enough. They probably won't keep such a tight lid on what's going on, now that they know that we're on to them."

"Do you think it has something to do with the secret that Kurosaki-kun and Ishida-kun are keeping?" Orihime questioned, more to herself than her two companions.

"Oh, Inoue," Kuchiki-san laughed, and Sado-kun smiled at her in amusement.

"What!"


End file.
